Islamabad:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) held meetings on Wednesday with managers of the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP), the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to carry out an assessment of Governance and corruption.
Sources have revealed that the IMF mission had been informed of transparency and audit process in the public sector. The mission has been informed that the Parliament serves as a highest forum for audit and responsibility in the public sector. In addition, the opposition has the power to audit government institutions, the head of the Public Accounts Committee being appointed by the Opposition Head.
FBR officials provided a briefing on digitization and tax reforms to ensure transparency of the tax system. Meanwhile, SECP representatives informed the IMF on the measures taken to improve the ease of shopping on the stock market and in the business sector.
The IMF mission also organized meetings with officials from the Ministry of Climate Change and the Ministry of Housing and Works.
In particular, the IMF has been in Pakistan for about a week to carry out a complete evaluation of governance and corruption. This includes an examination of the process of appointing judges, judicial integrity and judicial independence.
This is the first detailed mission of the genus – diagnostic evaluation of governance and corruption of Pakistan – which began on Thursday. The evaluation should end on Friday, the government and diplomatic sources said at The Express PK Press Club.
During his stay in Pakistan, the IMF team meets representatives of at least 19 ministries, ministries and state institutions, including the Pakistan Judicial Commission and the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The objective of the mission remains on the rule of law, the anti-corruption measures, financial monitoring, the elimination of the interests acquired deeply rooted in the state governance structure and the fight against money laundering , according to sources.
